The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-04
An Expert Construes the New Rules.

AN Expert CO0BtrueS the NEW hul0Ss
Boston Herald.
Despite all that has been said and written
about the new baseball rules the public iudg-
ing by the questions propounded at this Office.
are very poorly posted on the matter. Enough
has been shown by the practice games thus far
played in the South by the Philadelphia and De-
troit mines to say that the game will be radically
changed. First of all, there will be plenty of
batting; the pitcher will have to depend entirely
upon his field moro bases will be given on balls,
and consequently there will be many more runs.
The pitcher this season will have to stand facing
the umpire. and keep the ball in plain sight of
that. functonary. He will not however, be
obliged to keep both feet upon the ground until
the ball is delivered. His position has been
shortened until it is now 13x4 feet His rear
foot must be on the back line and he can take
but step forward to deliver the ball OF
course, this will hamper him in speed. and in eff
fectiveness, and in curve. AS he will have but
five bad balls allowed him. and the batter will
be allowed four strikes, pitcher will be unable
to trfe, but will have to confne himself strictly
to business. To counterfeit the restrictions
upon his delivery, the distinction between the
high and low ball has been done away with and
the batsman will have to hit at every ball
pitched over the plate between the shoulder and
the knee.
Under the new rule there will be plenty of
chance for head work. All the pitchers who
were effective under the old rules will be effect
i've to-day, while the way of the wild pitchers
will be very hard. Now. every time the pitcher
starts to throw the ball to base he will have to
come back to the pitching position before he de-
livers the ball to the base This will do away
with almost all the ''monkeying" or tricky bust
ness which was so frequent, and yet will enable
the pitcher to keep very close watch upon his
man, though he will not be very likely to feint
or to throw to a base as often as before. The
pitcher this year, therefore. cannot hide the ball
on his hip as has heretofore been the case, but
both the player and umpire will have chance
to watch it all the time and this will make a
great difference in the batting, for, while the
pitcher will endeavor to deliver the ball he be-
ieves to be dstasreful to the batsman, the latter
will have more time to judge his ball, which will
be in sight all the time The abolition of any
height in calling for the ball was done to aid the
umpire and do away with the continued kicking
about the height of a ball. Now anything
above the shoulder will be too high and below
the knee too low. While the pitcher will receive
credit for a strike-out on the score, he will in
the summary This will not amount to any
thing, as the number of strike-outs is bound to
be very small
There is also great deal of misunderstood
Ing about the fourth strike. 1t is thought to be
great mistake that the catcher should be
spared the necessity of catching the fourth
strike and that catch it or not, the batter is
out The rule, too, giving a batsman who
reaches first base on balls base hit deserves
criticism, for 1t gives man a hit when he has
not even touched the ball. The best way that
this could have been disposed of would have
been to credit these base hits" in the total of
the hits against an opposing pitcher but never
In favor of any one player. The rule will be a
good one IN the eyes OF those people who derde
averages. Under the new rules averages will
mean simply nothing, and the wise baseball
scorer will be able to save himself a pile of
bother
AS far as the batsman is concerned, it will be
Teen that he will have fair chance to hit at the
ball. He will not be tormented by the pitcher
grating all around in his position, making
ral jumps, and half frightening the life out of
he batsman. Then, the ball will come to him
With less speed. The batsman we'll knows that
me pitcher has got only one bad ball the start
Of the batter; that is, if the first bail is bad
one, the pitcher will have be very careful. for
the striker will then have four balls and four
strikes.
The batter who hunts the ball will be credited
with strike. but no base be run such a
hunt, for 1t will act upon base runners like foul
ball This will not prevent sacrifice or place
hitting. Scorers will notice that the total base
hit column is done away with, and replaced by
the stolon-base column. The total bases WILL
however, be indicated in the summary. The
coaching rules must also be remembered There
will be two allowed, one either side of the dia-
mond and away from the umpire. They can talk
to the base-runners only. This year if a man
steals base he will be credited with stolen
base, whether he makes his point by an error or
not.
1t remains to be seen whether it would not
have been better, other restrictions considered,
TO allow the pitcher six bad balls, and score the
base on balls in the total, and not in the ndlvd-
ual base hit score. Then the four-strikes rule is
considered bad by everybody. But. at the
outset, it must be confessed that there is great
deal that is good in the new rules. and they will
receive thorough trial
The following points should be remembered:
Captains OF clubs only question an umpires
decision. runner walk 10 his base when a
FOUL hit is made, instead OF being obliged to run.
n n nhSt ttttA or W N
case of injury. Int if hurt he must retire from
She game. CluJs will not toss for choice of posi-
uon IN tho future, the right of choice invariably
Nesting with the home club When the ball is
Matted out of sight Of the players. another one
mnst be substituted. without waiting until the
ball is returned: and when ball becomes ripped
or damaged another must at once be brought
into pay.
Baseball Notes.
n. NJ. Jones. Of Grand Rapids. has declined .